Portland's National College of Natural Medicine today holds an 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. open house at its new Helfgott Research Institute, 2220 SW 1st Avenue

View full sizeDoug Beghtel / The OregonianInstructor Youping Qin watches student Alysha Barbour conduct acupuncture at a National College of Natural Medicine clinic in 2009

Portland's National College of Natural Medicine today is celebrating the grand opening of its Helfgott Research Institute and Community Education Center downtown, with a public open house and tours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Renovation of the more than 8,000 square-foot building cost $1.5
million, resulting in a full-blown teaching and research laboratory as
well as a gleaming new kitchen classroom allowing distance-learning for
cooking healthy meals, part of the naturopathic tradition.

Located at 2220 SW 1st Avenue, the project shows tangible results of an aggressive push for capital fundraising and increased visibility led by the college's President David Schleich. NCNM will use the building to ground students in science and research
techniques, as well as conducting its own research.

Since 2005, the Helfgott Research Institute has been awarded nearly $3 million of National Institutes of Health research grants.

The building is located a half-mile north of NCNM's Lair Hill campus and was designed by Henneberry Eddy Architects Inc. The renovation was funded by Bob and Charlee Moore of Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, the Meyer Memorial Trust, and Don Helfgott, the co-founder of Beaverton's Inspiration Software.